Discovering Gili’s Archipelago

INDONESIA, TRAVEL / 4 AUGUST 2016

Discovering Gili’s Archipelago

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The second day in Gili Trawangan was about snorkeling, and exploring the other side of the magical island.

Early in the morning, after having breakfast (Indonesian banana pancakes of course!) we went to a tourist shop to book tickets to do snorkeling with Glass Bottom Boat which does daily group departures at 10.30 am from Gili T with return around 3.30 pm. We already did snorkeling in Bali, but to do it with turtles made Gili a special spot for doing this activity.

First we met the group in front of the Night Market at 10 am then we had to choose the fins and masks. Afterwards we went to the boat to start the adventure.We were not alone, there were more tourists with us. The plan was to stop in four places. We arrived to the first one but it wasn’t possible to snorkel because of the strong current, so we had to move to the next one.

The second point was quite and clear. When we arrived we put on our fins and masks, and jumped into the crystal water to see the fishes.

Unfortunately there were no turtles nor sharks, but I wouldn’t say that it was boring because we saw so many sea life & some very strange brightly-colored creatures, including something that looked like a centipede scurrying along the rocks.I was completely lost, or in other words, in a dream.

After admiring during 30 min the beauty of the second snorkeling spot, it was time to go to the next one. I was already wet and accustomed to the cold water so it wasn’t that difficult for me to jump again. With the sun, the water was warmer than before.

I had a problem with the mask. It didn’t fit me well and I had always water inside. So I had to ask one of the guys who was working there to change it. I thought that I was pissing him off but in fact he was very nice to me. I heard him talking to his friend and I understood him because I speak Arabic. I finished his sentence and he was like whoah!! Then we started to make jokes haha! He didn’t expected it but we had a funny conversation.

Anyway I came back to swimming. We had a man that guided us. When he spotted a large sea turtle gliding effortlessly against the current, he called us to follow him and to watch it.

What a beautiful moment as we swam next to her under the water. This is what we had come for! Our best run was when we spotted 3 sea turtles!

Although I was very tired I tried with all my strength to swim upstream to spend more time watching a turtle which was coming up to the surface for a breath of fresh air.

I followed the turtle and poked my head out of the water in sync with her. It was an incredibly magical moment to be there while the turtle lingered observing the surface.

We spent the rest of the morning enjoying the great snorkeling and the fantastic underwater paradise around all the 3 islands: Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno.

Once we finished it was time to move to the following spot which was the last Gili Air. I was very tired and hungry so I decided to stay in the boat with Raquel.Hector and Roger went to snorkel, so we just sat in the boat touching the water with our feet and talking.

It was very sunny and I didn’t feel good. Being in the water all morning under the sun is not that easy.

When they finished we went to have lunch to Gili Air at a restaurant called “Shark Bites” overlooking the turquoise water, we enjoyed eating and watching the beautiful views around. I could have stayed there all day!! After that we had to get into the boat and go back to Gili T.

Trip tip: lunch is not included in the tour so I suggest you to bring money with you, it doesn’t cost that much it’s around 15 to 25 K IND rupee (5 to 6 dollars).

We had a little bit of drama in the boat because of the strong current. The boat started to jump and do weird movement and water entered in the boat. Honestly I was very scared, first thing that came up to my mind were sharks!!!! I didn’t want us to be lost in the middle of nowhere. But luckily nothing happened and we arrived safe.

Swimming in crystal water with sea turtles was a dream for me, it was my first time and also a perfect way to spend a morning. When we reached Gili-T we went straight to the cottage to have a shower and relax. Then around 5 pm we were already ready to discover the other side of the island, we went walking instead of renting a bike or a horse ride.

It was a way to enjoy the little details of the island: the local lifestyle, the houses, the restaurants, the mountain,… We were excited but tired, we walked all the coast which was full of bars and restaurants with a marvelous sunset view.

While walking we found the best bar on the beach. We had a drink chilling watching the sunset, In that moment I was thinking about how lucky and grateful I was for having such a moment with such a beautiful people.

At the end of the day we came back walking again. We stopped at a restaurant called ”Little Italy” to have dinner. I really enjoyed the pizza, it was yummy! And then straight to the bungalow to sleep.

Stay tuned to see my next adventure in Gili T. I hope you enjoyed reading about my second day in Gili T.

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36 thoughts on “Discovering Gili’s Archipelago”

I visited Gili in March and it was so beautiful, one of my favourite place i the world! However I didn’t snorkel/dive there, having read this it makes me want to go back and do just that! Thanks for sharing this great and informative post! Keep it up 🙂

[…] which different colors the sunset will bring. I already took some sunset photos as you can check in my previous post “ Discovering Gili’s Archipelago”, but today’s shots were in the classic Gili Trawangan “Swing” […]

I’ve heard about the strong currents out to Gili T and as I have a bit of a boat phobia we stayed on Bali our whole time there. The pics of your snorkelling look fab, such clear waters! Looks like you had a great day.

We just got back from diving in Thailand and our turtle encounter was the highlight of the trip. They are so graceful underwater. I felt like we were the only ones tipping on our tour but that is OK. I would rather be that one. When I used to guide white water we had a saying. We held up the paddle, pointed to the middle and said – this is the shaft. The we pointed to the end and said this is the tip. The we asked the group to give the people the “pointed to tip” and not the “pointed to the middle”.

Goodness = how incredible to swim and get so up close and personal with these magnificent animals. I’m a bit scared of the water so not sure I’d ever do this, but genuinely love these pictures and reading about your experience. I also enjoy walking around new places to get a feel for it – and discovering cute locations to grab a drink and watch the sunset!

Sounds like a completely magical experience to see and swim with those turtles. Although you sound a bit disappointed about the strong currents causing disruptions to your plans, it is good that your tour guide had safety first. Gili seems like the perfect place for a relaxing beach holiday.

Snorkeling and swimming with sea turtles – this looks so beautiful and also like a lot of fun. I havent heard of Gili’s Archipelago before, but it truly seems to be a fantastic place to visit. Love your shots in the hammock, this looks like pure relaxing somewhere in paradise 🙂

We were SO close to visiting the Gili’s when we last visited Bali but ran out of time. It sounds so laidback with amazing snorkeling conditions. I agree, swimming with turtles is one of the most peaceful and magical things I’ve done too! They’re such gentle creatures and I’m glad you had an amazing day out in the ocean.

So glad that you were able to swim with turtles on the second snorkel spot. I love snorkeling and scuba diving, you never know what amazing creatures you will find under the sea. The hammocks on teh beach are a great way to end the day.

The gili islands are so beautiful. I stayed on Gili Air and loved it. I also did a day trip to Gili Meno and saw the turtle sanctuary. I enjoyed doing lots of snorkelling there and walking around the island and watching sunset. Truly a beautiful place.

What a lovely underwater experience. The snorkeling sounds really exhilarating. The fact that you actually got to swim with the sea turtles is indeed great. It must have felt incredible, a once in a lifetime kind of experience, I am sure.

Incredible! I am so happy you go to see turtles, in such clear water! I recently went to the Great Barrier Reef and saw some turtles, but the water was a bit murky and they were busy eating. You were able to get so close to them! This is now on my bucket list to do!

OMG!! This is gorgeous!!! Its indeed a paradise on earth! The water looks so pristine!!! I’ve not done snorkeling so far and I really have to do! Btw, the bar on the beach is an absolute awesome place to spend all night!!!

How fun! It must have been so special to snorkel beside turtles. I have been kayaking in Maui and turtles were swimming right next to us. I was so happy to see them up and close. They are beautiful creatures.

I bet you were a little disappointed in the first spit in not seeing a turtle. Even with the brightly coloured fish. However I would be over the moon in seeing turtles in the next place. What an amazing experience. I have been snorkelling in quite a few locatons where you can see turtles but I have never seen one.
It looks like a great trip. Thank you for sharing your experience. And some great photos too!

I’ve heard so many great things about Gili from fellow travellers, and now I can understand why! I’ve never tried snorkelling before, but it must be one heck of an adventure – and a great way to see the islands from a different angle! Thanks for sharing your story with us, and the photos – they’re gorgeous (and definitely make me want to visit Gili soon)!

Great work taking your underwater camera, you were rewarded with some beautful photos. I would have been happy swimming with just 1 turtle but you got to swim with 3, how lucky. None of your knitted swimwear in this post Loudy? It looked like a great adventure!